Kerala: 12 engineering colleges flash red flag

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 12 engineering colleges, part of the allotment pool last year, do not feature in this year's admissions as they have either shut down or have been placed in the no-admission category. This year,  the total number of BTech seats in colleges in the state will be 54,225, compared to 58,844 sanctioned by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) last year. This is a drop by 4,619 seats. 

The colleges that will  not admit students  are: Archana College of Engineering, Palamel, Ala ppuzha;  Aryanet Institute of Technology, Pudupari yaram, Palakkad;  KMP College of Engineering, Cherukunnam, Perumba voor;  KVM College of Engineering, Cherthala;  Mukambika Technical Campus, Edappally;  Pankajakashturi College of Engineering, Kandala, Thiruvananthapuram;  Pinnacle College of Engineering and Technology, Anchal;  Prime College of Engineering, Erattayal, Palakkad;  Shahul Hame ed Memorial Engineering College, Kadakkal, Kollam;  St Gregorios College of Engineering, Enmakaje, Kasargod;  Travancore Engineering College, Oyoor  and  Younus Colle ge of Engineering and Technology, Vadekkevila, Kollam.

Sources said that the applications of three  colleges to convert to polytechnics were  rejected by the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. A major reason for closure of the colleges  is  low intake of seats.    Only 30,200 seats were filled in the last academic year in the state. Most of the vacant seats were in private self-financing engineering colleges.  The APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University had permitted transfer of the students  to other affiliated institutions except government and aided colleges. 

Since 2016, the number of engineering seats has been on the decline  across the country. In 2016-17,  the total intake for BTech in the country  was 15, 71,220. However, the total enrolment was 7, 87,127, which was around 50.1 per cent. It was in this context  that the AICTE wanted to close down about 800 engineering colleges in the country.     The AICTE has sought the closure of colleges that lacked proper infrastructure and had less than 30 percent admissions for five consecutive years.